Yet another example of Ed O’Loughlin’s twisted sense of cause and effect appeared in his latest piece of the violence in Gaza. What is going on there is surely bordering on civil war between the Fatah and Hamas factions for control of the region. Palestinians are murdering Palestinians – women, children – but this doesn’t receive the top billing as a news story that it might otherwise deserve. No worldwide condemnation, no UN statements. And why? It’s simple. This is not Israel killing Palestinians.
Ah, but rest assured, Ed will fix that. In a story about Palestinian violence, he goes to pains to point out that ordinary life has been “devastated by Israeli bombardment”. Yes, the reason that they are all murdering each other is actually because of Israel. The reason the Hamas government has been unable to effectively rule is not because the world has boycotted them in the face of their commitment to destroy Israel. No, it must be because Israel has put all its lawmakers in prison. Based on the few reports we have seen of the anarchy in Gaza, surely “Palestinian lawmaker” is an oxymoron.
Yes, Ed, it’s the economic blockade that has prevented Hamas from implementing all of those economic reforms it had on the cards. They are just chomping at the bit to create jobs and infrastructure so their citizens have a future. It’s all they ever talk about, isn’t it?